Good news from Tennessee: The Legislature will not consider a bill to cut the welfare benefits of families whose children do poorly in school. At least not this year.
Senator Stacey Campfield took note of the fact that several prominent Republican senators planned to oppose the bill, as did the governor.
And Senator Campfield said “we all have true passion to get parents involved.”
So, now we understand his motive. He actually believes that starving the family would encourage parental involvement!
One of the opponents of the bill worried that if the family lost income, the children might be blamed and beaten.
This may be another heartening example of the power of public outrage, the letters, phone calls, and outreach that convinced legislators in Tennessee not to make themselves a national laughing stock.
Getting Jon Stewart’s attention may have turned the tide on this dreadful proposal.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Killer headlines, Ms, Ravitch! Call ’em like you see ’em.
Isn’t it interesting that in a ProLife state, they don’t seem to be interested in anything but ProBirth and “teaching people a lesson”? I wish they were as interested in creating a fair business climate and compassion for people who are victimized. I guess I can dream.
Probably some sort of ALEC legislation… dreamed up in their underground labs by their humanoid underdwellers.
Campfield is the nightmare we can’t seem to wake up from. He’s an embarrassment not only to Tennessee, but the whole human race.
Where is President Obama on this insanity?
You mean the President Obama who wanted to cut heating oil subsidies for the poor in the middle of one of the coldest winters?
Where is Obama? Sorry, but he’s busy presenting his cat food budget to congress.
When I hear/think President Obama I see “duplicitous”.
Please stop with Obama. He won’t save anybody from anything.
How does that saying go–WE are the ones who must make the changes we need? (I’ve seen it here enough–one of you knows!)
Now, Jon Stewart calling attention to it–that was, indeed, a good thing. And we need to keep getting Matt Damon coming to S.O.S. D.C. rallies, as well.
Beg to differ. Obama/Duncan ed policies have immeasurably magnified the assault on public education.
Thank you, John! And, as always, a thank you to Diane Ravitch, the foremost advocate for teachers and kids in the country today.
Campfield is originally from NY but he & his brother landed in Knoxville several years back. After he won his seat in the state house of representatives, the local newspaper regularly reported the outlandish bills he dreamed up that never made it out of committee. The bills typically cover dubious legal theory about punishing gays, women, or sex.
None of us knew how he made a living but he used to tell the folks in Nashville he restored historic homes. Reality was he owned a few small, old, run down houses that he rents to unsuspecting UTK students. One time one of his rentals had a backed up sewage line that filled the basement with raw sewage and he refused to fix it. His renters finally threatened him with a lawsuit so Campfield ran the raw sewage into the street late at night to avoid being caught. His renters reported him, he was fined, & the Knoxville News Sentinel exposed him as a slumlord.
He has a long history of poor relationships with colleagues, particularly if they are Democrats. One time he was at a political barbecue with the former Democratic governor Bredeson and Campfield started taunting Bredeson for being a Democrat. The host of the party (a Republican) asked him to leave. The local republicans were so embarrassed by him they ran a moderate republican against him in the primary but Campfield won his district easily. He’ll go door to door and say ANYTHING about his opponents. (e.g., http://www.nashvillescene.com/pitw/archives/2013/04/09/while-taking-potshots-at-colleagues-campfield-shoots-self-in-foot)
TN Republicans have themselves to blame for Campfield. When he ran for his Senate seat in 2010, Gov. Haslam and the state Republican party endorsed him, fully aware of his temperament, foolishness, and unfiltered social behavior. Campfield’s own brother tells people not to vote for him. Lt. Gov. Wilder demonstrated his sincere concern for TN education when put Campfield on the education committee.
Check out Campfield’s blog. http://lastcar.blogspot.com/ for pictures of Snookie and Kim Jung Un. Thank heaven for the google spell check.
If you didn’t know it was written by an adult state senator you might think an unschooled teenage boy wrote it. Oh, wait…
The protest by Clergy for Justice, featuring a brave little 8-year old, made a big difference.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/12/8-year-old-follows-tenn-lawmaker-around-capitol-until-he-drops-welfare-bill/
How degraded some of the discourse on education has become. We actually have to debate whether or not we can “fear and fire” our way to excellence [this felicitous description courtesy of the redoubtable Carol Corbett Burris] or worse yet—it is sickening to write this—”starve” our way to excellence.
At least the “fear and fire” involves adults. But starving poor children and their families!?!?!
Gives new meaning to the “no excuses” mantra of the edubullies: does the “S” in SLANT now mean “Starve”?
I sincerely hope not.
Absolutely eloquent, KTA. I implore you, write a book.